Cellphone downloads from two accused’s phones to come under spotlight in Meyiwa murder trial

Cellphone data from the phones confiscated from murder accused Bongani Sandiso Ntanzi and Sifisokuhle Nkani Ntuli are expected to come under the spotlight next week when the Senzo Meyiwa murder trial continues. 

This evidence may tie in with the evidence of cellphone analyst Col Lambertus Steyn.

When testifying, Steyn said he had received downloads from all the people who were present in the Vosloorus home where Meyiwa was gunned down, except from one of Kelly Khumalo's phones which was allegedly stolen by the intruders who had barged into the house. 

On Wednesday the murder trial sitting in the Pretoria high court had to take a short adjournment as the defence team indicated that they needed time to go through the documents of the cellphone analyst which were provided to them on Monday.

State prosecutor advocate George Baloyi said the analyst would testify about the downloads from the cellphones confiscated from Ntanzi and Ntuli.

Defence lawyer advocate Zandile Mshololo indicated she would need two days to go through the information.

Advocate Charles Mnisi, representing Mthobisi Prince Mncube, said the document supplied to them was voluminous.

“There are drawings here, there are schematic representations, so we need to tie this information given to us on Monday to the evidence already given by Mr Steyn,” he said.

Mnisi said all the defence representatives needed time to go through the documents and formulate their own views and opinions before consultations with their clients.

“We can't consult with the accused person before we understand what the content of these documents are.”

Cellphone downloads from Mncube's phone have shown photos of him with some of the accused, pictures of guns and large sums of money and that he wore dreadlocks at the time of Meyiwa's murder. The hairstyle was significant as one of the two gunmen who had entered the Khumalo home wore this style, according to eyewitnesses.

Earlier, Mshololo said Ntuli rejected state witness Sizwe Skhumbuzo Zungu's evidence that placed him at a Basothong hostel in Vosloorus on the day of the murder.

Referring to a picture depicting Mncube and Ntuli, which she indicated was taken at about 5pm on October 26 2014, Msololo said the picture was taken at George Goch hostel in Johannesburg.

“On October 26 2014 he was at work in Joburg, where he knocked off at 1pm. He went to his flat and from there he went to George Goch hostel,” she said.

“At no stage was he at Vosloorus hostel. Accused No 5 also denies any involvement in the commission of this crime.”

Zungu was adamant Ntuli was at the hostel and he saw him.

Mshololo said Ntuli denies having any brother or siblings from his mother and denies any knowledge of his relatives by the name Nkazimulo Ntuli.

Zungu testified that Nkazimulo, who is a family member of Ntuli, had tried to kill him.

The case has stood down until Monday.

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